


love in a million lives

by shell-heads (chocopies)



Series: Cap/IM Bingo 2018 II [10]
Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Demon!Tony, Jealous Steve Rogers, M/M, Multiverse Shenanigans, angel!Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 13:36:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17561420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocopies/pseuds/shell-heads
Summary: There's no end to all the crazy, wack things you get used to seeing when you work as an Avenger, but even Iron Man himself is surprised when a magic portal opens in his workshop and dumps versions of him and Steve from another universe into his lap. Evil twins, violent dictators, little kids, females, civilians-you'd think they'd seen just about every kind of version of them in the multiverse, right?Yeah, Tony's pretty sure angels and demons take the cake. Angels and demons who foughtwarstogether and are apparentlysoulmates, the same way angel Steve is telling himthisEarth's Steve and Tony-meaning himself and the regular super soldier war veteran standing two feet away-are soulmates too.He really can't make this shit up, hand to God.





	love in a million lives

“Hi,” Tony says, caught off-guard, the gauntlet he’d been aiming at the black vortex that suddenly appeared in his workshop hanging in the air awkwardly.

“Hey there,” sighs the Tony in front of him, quirking his own smile back. “Different universe?”

“Uh, probably,” Tony tells the other Tony, lowering his gauntlet slightly and blinking at him. “You’re-”

“You from somewhere else? Yeah,” he nods, shrugging ruefully.

“And he’s-” Gesturing to the shadow behind him, Tony’s mouth goes dry as what’s clearly a multiverse Steve steps into the light, broad shoulders and corded muscle in the way his Steve is, but more dense.

“Stephanos,” other Tony introduces, sharing a fond look with other Steve and turning to Tony expectantly. “I’m assuming you have one of your own in this universe?”

“I have a _Steve_ , yup,” Tony nods, mouthing ‘Stephanos’ to himself a little wildly, “which means your name is…”

“Antonius,” he answers as Tony finally lowers the gauntlet entirely, still processing the whole situation. “Most people call me-”

“Tony,” Tony finishes for him, smiling weakly at them. “Same thing, different universe, I guess. Quick question-is he...glowing?”

Glancing at Stephanos, Antonius blinks like he hadn’t even realized and laughs. “Yeah, he does that sometimes. Sorry about that, you can just ignore it.”

“Right,” Tony says distantly, dragging his eyes away from the halo of light surrounding Stephanos’ body and dialing up his smile like this is just another normal Thursday.

To be fair, he’s had weirder ones.

“I’m assuming from the weird black portal and the fact that you don’t look like you’ve got some ‘huge mission’ that this trip wasn’t on purpose,” Tony hazards, and they nod sheepishly, Stephanos grinning as Antonius rocks back and forth on his heels.

“I _might_ have messed up an incantation in the middle of an experiment,” he confesses, elbowing Stephanos when the blond laughs out loud, his entire demeanor lightening. “Shut up, it’s your fault too.”

“A little bit,” Stephanos admits, his stiff shoulders loosening as they snap at each other playfully, the upright posture he was holding himself up with thawing quickly.

Laughing to himself at the unintended joke, Tony shakes his head when they look at him curiously and asks them a question of his own. “You telling me you got here through magic? As in, you _do_ magic?”

“Of course,” Antonius replies, blinking at him like Tony’s just asked him if he drinks eats food-which, actually he might not, depending on what kind of universe he’s from. “You don’t?”

 _God_ , the things you get used to in this job.

“Uh, that’s a big no,” Tony makes a face, his disgust apparent, “I kind of hate magic, full offense. If you weren’t me, I’d have kicked you out for that on instinct.”

Antonius gapes unattractively as Stephanos bursts into laughter, his wide shoulders shaking as he leans over with a hand on Antonius’ shoulder to keep himself from bowling over.

“Oh, he’s perfect,” Stephanos gasps, straightening his back and beaming. “I like this one.”

“You shut your heathen mouth,” Antonius grumbles, his eyes flashing as he glares at the blond. “You, me-” Gesturing to Tony, he falters and asks, “what the hell do you _do_ if you don’t study magic?”

“Science?” Tony raises an unimpressed brow, waving to the workshop littered with parts and blue screens all around them.  

“What is... _science_?” Antonius frowns, the shape of his mouth unsure of the last word.  

“You’re shitting me right now,” Tony says incredulously, looking over to an equally lost Stephanos. “Science? You don’t have science in your fucking universe?”

“It seems not,” Stephanos answers, looking intrigued. “What is this science you speak of?”

Tony hardly even knows where to begin with that, but he’s saved by the sound of glass shifting as Steve walks into the room, his identicard in hand as he frowns.  

“Hey, Tony, I was wondering if you-” 

Freezing halfway through the doors, Steve stares at their visitors, the immediate tension in his shoulders melting as he notices the loose way Tony’s holding himself, still dressed in the button down and slacks from work, armor disassembled.

“Different universe?” he says finally, putting his identicard away and making his way to Tony.

“Yup,” Tony answers, lips quirking at the faint signs of weariness already settling onto Steve’s brow. “Say hello to Antonius and Stephanos, our new guests.”

“Right,” Steve mutters to himself, smiling at them as best as he can. “Just to be clear, neither of you is a mass murderer, Nazi, evil villain set on ruling the world, or mentally unstable threat to the safety of this Earth, right?”

“I’m not sure what a Nazi is, but we’re most certainly none of those other things,” Stephanos assures him, causing Tony and Steve to raise their eyebrows at each other. 

“I almost wish I lived in your universe now,” Tony says out loud, frowning when Steve turns with an amused, “ _Almost_?”

“Magic,” Tony says distastefully, nodding his head towards Antonius and pouting when Steve laughs at him.

“Sounds perfect to me,” Steve teases with dancing blue eyes before turning back to their guests, his smile much more easy now. “Well, I don’t know how you got here, but welcome to our Earth, I suppose. Do you guys have a way back?”

“Of course we do,” Antonius scoffs, Stephanos smiling gently and stepping forward.  

“We’ll just need to borrow your magical facilities for a moment and we’ll return shortly,” Stephanos says, causing Tony to sigh.

“No magic, remember?” he point to himself, wiggling the gauntlet on his hand for emphasis.  

“That...might be annoying,” Antonius admits, brows furrowing as he frowns thoughtfully.

“Alright, let’s get Stephen,” Tony decides, smiling in thanks as Steve hands him his suit jacket to dig for his phone. 

“I thought this _was_ your Stephanos,” Antonius says, eyes flitting between Stephanos and Steve as if he’s missing something.  

“No, not Steve-different person,” Tony tries, typing quickly and praying Stephen isn’t in some alternate dimension fighting a thousand year old kraken on steroids. “The person we’re going to see is a magic user, a sorcerer. Steve and I are just your regular old humans.” 

“Sure, regular,” Steve snorts, sharing a grin with Tony. “For a definition of regular, anyways.”

“He’s called the Sorcerer Supreme,” Tony adds helpfully when he gets a reply as he guides them to an area of the workshop that isn’t so cluttered. “He’s got a bunch of mystic magic...things.” 

“Perhaps he is their universe’s version of Stefaine,” Stephanos whispers to Antonius with a frown, who lights up. “It seems in this world, magic is less common, and this...science reigns.”

“We definitely don’t have anything like this back home,” Antonius agrees, eyeing the gleaming lights and technology at work around them.

“You guys live in a world without science?” Steve blinks, curious.

“Yes,” Stephanos replies, the two of them standing next to each other and conversing sort of blowing Tony’s mind. “Our world runs on magic and energy, though that doesn’t seem to be the case here.”

“I wouldn’t say magic is normal, but it’s definitely not unheard of here,” Steve tells him with a wry smile, laughing at the disgruntled look that overcomes Tony at the thought of their last encounter with magic only three days ago. “You can probably already tell that Tony here isn’t a big fan.”

“I can,” Stephanos agrees, grinning. “It’s quite amusing, considering the way Antonius has to be dragged kicking and screaming from his experiments in the magic arts.”

“Sounds kind of like Tony with his own experiments,” Steve hums, his eyes twinkling as Tony gently elbows him for the jab at his bad habits. “It’s good to see some things never change.”

“Alright, he’s coming through,” Tony calls out, looking up from his phone and standing patiently for the tell-tale spark of Stephen’s portals, beaming when he steps out in all his caped glory.

“Oh, it _is_ Stefaine!” Antonius yells gleefully with Stephanos sighing behind him as Tony says, “Hey buddy!”

“Why am I not surprised,” Stephen mutters as he takes in the doubles standing next to Steve and Tony, pretending his lips aren’t quirking upwards as Tony slings an arm over his shoulder.

“Come on, you know you were getting bored just drinking tea and reading books,” Tony wheedles, “besides, this is your job, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Stephen agrees long-sufferingly, nodding his greeting at Steve from under Tony’s arm. “Hello, Captain.”

“Sorry for the trouble,” Steve offers, to which Stephen shakes his head.

“Like Tony said, it is my job,” he replies before getting dragged aside by an excited Antonius, who immediately starts speaking in a language that completely befuddles Tony and Steve.

“I see,” Stephen nods in understanding, causing Tony to mouth _What?_ at Steve, who shrugs helplessly. “Yes, that can be arranged easily enough. Tell me, do you have a conduit for that?”

“That would be me,” Stephanos steps in front of Antonius with a bland smile, his hulking body nearly hiding his partner entirely. “I’m very experienced in redirecting mass amounts of energy, and he’ll use my wings to begin the ritual.”

“I’m sorry, did you just say wings?” Tony pipes up from behind Steve, his head peeking over a muscled shoulder as Stephanos stops burning holes into Stephen with his strong gaze to look at Tony.

“Yes, wings,” he answers, his smile much more genuine. “They contain much power, though I can see that they, like magic, are not common in this world either.”

There’s a sudden flash of harsh, blinding light, and Tony gapes as his visions returns and white wings span his workshop from wall to wall, just as splendidly broad and muscled as Stephanos himself; Steve, beside him, is still trying to scrape his jaw off the floor.

“Oh my god,” Tony whispers, his mind short-circuiting with the desire to immediately run his hands through them and run tests, the soft feathers ridiculously attractive.

“Not god-just an angel,” Stephanos corrects, his feathers ruffling with pride under their admiring stares.

“You’re an _angel?_ ” Steve asks just while Tony finds himself grinning widely despite the flush to his cheeks.

“One of the best soldiers in the Heavens,” Antonius confirms, and Tony laughs out loud.

“Oh, that’s perfect, Steve,” he crows, shaking Steve by his arm and laughing still. “God’s soldier! I hope you know I’m never forgetting this, holy shit-I wish Carol and Rhodey were here for this right now!”

“Wait, does that mean...you’re an angel too?” Steve stammers, eyes straying to Antonius as he runs his fingers over Stephanos’ wings to pat down stray feathers disturbed by the stray tools it sent flying when unfurling.

“Me? Hell no,” Antonius grins, pleased with his own joke despite Stephanos’ rolling eyes. “I guess you could say that, though.”

With a flash of red, pulsing light, he reveals wings of his own to the astounded humans, even Stephen leaning forward in interest to study the stark contrast between his left and right wings; his left wing, exactly the same as Stephanos’, is completely opposite of his right wing, black to the tips and covered in thick leather skin, sharp bones jutting out its tips.

“You look like a _dragon_ ,” Tony marvels, his eyes live as a wire with fascination. Reaching out, he slowly runs his fingers over the spine of the wings after an encouraging nod from his double, he scales smooth and rock hard under his touch. “This is amazing. Why are your wings different?”

“One of my wings was infected after an injury when I was much younger,” Antonius tells him as Stephen comes around to make note of the wings himself, fingers audibly vibrating as he nears them. “The only cure was holy energy, and with my dominating næther, it took a massive amount. To make sure I would live, my savior gave me his wings, and I became half-angel, half-demon.”

 _Yinsen_ , Tony thinks, his smile dipping low in a shared sadness as Antonius meets his eyes and nods in familiarity.

Some things really do never change, he supposes.

“Wait, if you’re an angel and he’s a demon,” Steve trails off, somewhat lost.

“Oh, we ended those wars centuries ago,” Antonius guffaws, “Stephanos and I didn’t really like the whole bias thing, so we overthrew the armies and took over the system. It’s much better now, and no one on either side is really strong enough to take us on anyways.”

“His control over both angelic and demonic powers makes him the one of the strongest beings in existence,” Stephanos informs them proudly, Antonius shrugging it off.

“I’d be even stronger if I had six wings like him,” he grins, causing their attention to fall off of him and onto his companion eagerly.

“You have six wings?” Stephen inquires, dragging his eyes away from Antonius’ wings. “Are they all the same size?”

“No,” Stephanos admits, his cheeks pinking under Tony’s attention as he moves his attention from Antonius’ wings to Stephanos’, calloused hands stroking them admiringly. “These are my smallest, the only pair that appear in this form." 

“This form?” Tony looks up with his face open in wonder, and Steve nearly crushes Antonius’ wing when he notices the scant distance between the two of them, Stephanos’ cheeks red and Tony’s bright eyes focused entirely on him; Antonius snickers under his breath after Steve lets go of his wing to regain himself.

“Sorry,” he apologizes to Antonius, who waves it off with a knowing smirk.

“No harm done,” he replies, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “It’d take a lot more than that to hurt one of my wings.

“Right,” Steve clears his throat, steadfastly refusing to watch as Stephanos answers Tony’s rapid fire questions with a slowly dipping voice, Tony’s hands glued to his soft feathers as he leans in close enough for Stephanos to speak directly in his ear.

“Steph,” Antonius calls out, attracting their attention, “I’ll need two of them now.”

“It won’t hurt to rip them out?” Tony worries, unable to keep himself from glancing at the pretty feathers in concern when Stephanos nods.

“I’ve faced much worse than a few plucked feathers,” Stephanos reassures him, placing a hand on top of Tony’s and directing his hand a little higher up on the wing. “They will grow back quickly enough.” 

“Are you sure I should do it?” Tony hesitates, uncharacteristically nervous about plucking feathers off an _angel_ , for God’s sake, his childhood Catholic warring with scientific curiosity.

“We need them to get home,” Stephanos reminds Tony gently, Steve’s feet frozen as he watches a man who looks exactly like him take Tony’s arms into hand and whisper into his ears, a trick of light almost making it seem as if they’re embracing right in front of everyone.

 _Angel_ , Steve chants to himself mentally,  _he’s an angel, Steve, an angel from Heaven-_

Tony rips out two feathers under Stephanos’ direction and immediately smoothes the ruddy skin left behind over, a fair nose dipping into his hair to smell it as an oblivious Tony frets, and the beaker Stephen had asked him for _shatters_ in his hands.

“Steve, you okay?” Tony asks him, hands flying off of Stephanos and holding Steve’s out before he can even blink to search them for injuries. “What happened? Was there anything in the beaker before it broke?”

“I’m fine,” Steve rasps, clearing his throat again and avoiding Tony’s eyes while Antonius turns for a moment to choke out a laugh, his shoulders shaking with mirth. “Just forgot my strength for a moment is all.”

“You forgot your strength?” Tony echoes, his brows rising straight into his hairline and causing Steve’s ears to turn pink.

“Maybe your equipment is just defective,” Steve defends, Tony’s wide mouth only making the squirming in his stomach worse in a completely different way.

“I cannot believe you just said that to me,” Tony says, his voice climbing high, and Steve tries not to think about how easy it would be to throw himself out the nearest window to escape-the least he could do is not break _more_ of Tony’s things. “Are you suggesting that anything I use in this lab would be any less than top-of-the-line material, Steve Rogers?”

“Oh, so none of the things in this room are damaged in any way whatsoever from the constant explosions and lab accidents you have?” Steve throws back, the squirm fading away into relief as Tony thinks about that and grins.

“Fair point,” he admits, taking Steve over to a table and wiping down his hands just in case, one of his bots cleaning up the leftover shards of glass on the floor with cheerful beeps. “At least half of science is fucking up to figure out what’s right, though, I’ll have you know.”

“I’m sure it says nothing at all about how good you are at your job as a scientist,” Steve agrees innocently, pleased as punch when Tony gasps in faux outrage and pinches his side in revenge.

“Feel free to take this one with you when you head back, buddy,” Tony calls out to Stephen, who holds back a snort.

“And deal with you coming over everyday for him? I don’t think so,” Stephen answers, completely focused on the green liquid he pulled out of God-knows-where bubbling itself away in the flask he’s holding. “I would appreciate another beaker, however, if you two are done over there.”

“Yeah, of course,” Steve answers sheepishly, slipping his hands out of Tony’s grasp with a fair modicum of regret before he locates another promptly and heads his way back.

Shuffling over to Tony after delivering his feathers to Antonius and Stephen, Stephanos folds his wings behind his back tightly and tilts his head ruefully.

“I apologize for any distress my actions have caused,” he whispers to Tony, who blinks at him and pats his shoulder easily.  

“No distress here to worry about,” he reassures him, his hands resting on his shoulder as he grins up at Stephanos. “I mean, the whole feather thing kind of made the Catholic part of my brain break for a minute, but it’s definitely nowhere near the worst thing I’ve had to do.”

Looking somewhat relieved by Tony’s answer, but mostly confused, Stephanos says, “I was not speaking of the feathers, thought I am glad to hear that I did not disturb your…psyche with the pulling of my feathers. Rather, I meant to apologize for my forward manner with you.”

“Your forward manner,” Tony repeats slowly, slightly lost as to where this conversation is going.

“I know Tony-Antonius,” Stephanos corrects himself halfway, “would likely be embarrassed if I mentioned this to him, but...I am pleased that the us of this world is equally connected, and I do apologize for any concern I may have caused on your parts by my curiosity. I myself am quite....possessive, and I’m afraid I forgot to take into account what that may feel like for another when speaking with you.”

“Sorry?” Tony asks, perplexed, the formulas of this conversation missing _vital_ numbers.

“What I mean to say is, I am glad that you two have the same connection we do,” Stephanos clarifies, mouth curved upwards gently. “I know it is not the same in every world, but to know you too are soulmates-it is most comforting. 

“I- _what_?” Tony says, water roaring in his ears as the words drag through his mind like molasses. “Soulmates? What are you talking about?”

“Yourself and the Stephanos of this world,” he supplies helpfully, the same blond hair and blue eyes as Tony’s Steve as he talks about this like it’s obvious when it’s clearly _not_. “Do you not use that term in this world?”

“No, it’s-I don’t think-” Tony stammers, uncharacteristically flustered as Steve looks over from where he’s holding something for Stephen in concern. “We’re not-soulmates, we’re just _friends_. Good friends.”

“I can assure you that you are,” Stephanos says, brows furrowing faintly as he raises a hand to Tony’s shoulder to steady him. “Are you alright?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tony says helplessly, his heart a wardrum in his chest, eyes flitting over to Steve with with longing as thick as a dream. “He and I aren’t together.”

“Well, not all soulbonds are romantic,” Stephanos points out like any of this makes sense to Tony, who wants to shake the frustrating blond by his broad shoulders and scream at the sudden onslaught of unwanted emotions pulsing through him.

 _“We’re not soulmates,”_ Tony hisses desperately, startling Stephanos with his vehemency.

“I don’t know what has happened between you two for this to distress you so,” Stephanos says slowly, his hand slipping off Tony’s shoulder to give him space, “but I only speak the truth. When people are destined for one another, for good or for bad, they are soulmates. Just as myself and Antonius are meant for one another, you are as well.”

“That’s not-that’s not possible,” Tony tells him, a hand coming up to cover his wet eyes as he tries desperately to regain his footing. “Platonic or romantic or anything, that’s just not _possible_.”

Looking down sadly at Tony’s trembling arms, Stephanos leans down so that he and Tony are eye-level, his shoulders blocking Tony out of view from the three behind them.

“I am sorry if I’ve brought up something that brings you unfortunate pains,” Stephanos murmurs, “but I do truly mean it, and I wish for you to see the truth as I do.”

Gasping as Stephanos presses a gentle kiss to his head and millions of images come flowing into his mind, Tony staggers and holds on to the edge of a table to keep from falling over, his breath short and quick; it’s Stephanos and Antonius, meeting for the first time, fire and lightning and light, him and Steve standing next to each other with broad smiles, a glow behind them that nearly blinds him, the sound of a thousand whispers, a thousand lives echoing in the touch of their skin when Tony holds his hands to check them for scratches.

 _These are Stephanos’ memories_ , Tony realizes as they wash over him like a tsunami, him and Steve and Antonius and Stephanos and everything in between. In all of them, every single one, there’s an energy in the air beyond words, crisp and clear.

It’s the shape of light and sound of a thousand lives lived right, emotions he can taste on his tongue like the bright burst of sweet fruit; the world is gold at its edges, reflecting light from every memory like a fresh cut diamond, the lives of hundreds of Tony’s and Steve’s solidifying themselves into a single, dazzling aura.

“This is what you are,” Stephanos tells him, his smile gentle. “I do not know what your pasts are, or the events whose hands have caused your suffering, but I know a love like this the way I know the feel of wings on my back. I am an angel of the Lord, Tony-I was made to see His gifts and let them be known.”

“That’s-that’s how you see us?” Tony chokes, unable to help the tear that slips past him when he blinks up at the angel. “That _light_?”

“Yes,” Stephanos answers, brushing the tear away with a soft air to him. “That light, as you say, is a sign amongst angels of the destiny between two people. It is the power of their fate and their love, a symbol of how their every action affects one another. Only those with the strongest connections, the strongest _love_ , are soulmates.”

“But Steve and I-” Struggling for words, Tony glances at Steve and feels his throat close uo again, lashes wet.

“You may not see it,” Stephanos murmurs, “but it is there. As you love him, he loves you.”

Sucking in a deep breath and rubbing at his face to dispel any tears, Tony tries to pull himself together before he can even begin to say something about that and startles when Stephanos presses another kiss to his cheek, this one entirely different.

His chest eases up like the melt of caramel on a summer day, smooth and sweet, and the panic pounding at his head eases off so that he can actually breathe.

“Oh,” Tony says in surprise, his entire body going loose in relief. “Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure,” Stephanos promises, his low voice and smile sending Tony's heart on the fritz. “I am always glad to be of help to any Tony, whether mine or not.”  

“Steph, we're finished!” Antonius calls out with perfect timing, causing the two of them to chuckle. “Come on, I need you here.”

“Coming!” Stephanos answers, making sure Tony is alright one last time before turning his back to walk to Antonius, Tony only a step behind.

“Alright, hold out your hands,” Antonius commands, pouring the mixture of whatever he and Stephen had been working on into Stephanos’ obedient palms. “Same as last time.”  

“Understood,” Stephanos replies, focusing on the effervescent liquid as Tony slips next to Steve, still deep in thought over what he just saw in the memories Stephanos gave him.

“You okay?” Steve asks him, his eyes crinkling at the corners with worry, and Tony does what he always does.

“Just having an existential crisis over angels and demons,” Tony jokes, jostling elbows with Steve. “You know, a regular Thursday.”

Laughing quietly, Steve nods. “All a day in the life of an Avenger.”

In that second, the liquid turns bright silver, shedding light that nearly blinds them before taking the shape of an eight-pointed star, spinning in the air.

“Looks about right,” Antonius praises, clapping Stephanos' shoulder and holding his own hands out to send something faintly gold into the air, the solidified solution spinning even faster and creating a wind within the workshop.

“Thanks for your help, and sorry for the trouble,” Antonius yells as a portal lined in gold and silver sparks into existence over them, nodding at all of them with a happy grin.

“Farewell, and thank you,” Stephanos adds, meeting Tony's eyes.

 _Do not be afraid_ , his voice echoes inside Tony's head, startling him. _You are more loved than you know. Believe in the both of you, and you shall accomplish great things._

Thank you, Tony mouths at him, and Stephanos shares one final smile with him before the portal vibrates and swallows their guests up, hissing out of existence and leaving windswept papers fluttering to the ground.

“As fascinating as that was, I'm afraid I have more work to do,” Stephen says, stepping aside and sending a truly apologetic look to Tony.

Grinning at the worry hiding in his eyes-yet another sign that he pays much more attention to Tony than he'd like anyone to think-Tony waves his friend off easily enough.

“Go do your thing, Mr. Sorcerer Supreme,” Tony teases. “You're still not getting out of lunch next week.”

“Tragic,” Stephen replies dryly, hiding the fond quirk of his mouth as he opens up his own portal and returns to the Sanctum, leaving Tony and Steve alone in the workshop.

“Well, that was interesting,” Steve sighs, resting his weight against a table and shaking his head ruefully. “Every time I think I've run out of things to be surprised by, there's always one more.”

Thinking of the surprises of his own he's been through today, Tony bumps hips with Steve and sighs knowingly. “Me too, Steve, me too.”

Biting his lip, Tony stares at his shoes in their amiable silence and takes a deep breath, sending a prayer to a very distant angel that this isn’t a foolish mistake.

“How’d you feel about heading out for a bite to eat?” Tony asks him, breath unbearably thick in his throat as he waits for Steve's answer.

“Sure,” Steve replies easily enough, stretching his arms out and thinking. “I'm pretty sure we have some lasagne from yesterday, but we could always-”

“Actually,” Tony interrupts, his mouth dry, “I was thinking more of a...date.”

“Oh,” Steve says, frozen mid-stretch as Tony's heart climbs its way into his mouth, fit to explode from anxiety. “A…date.”

Staring at his ear to avoid seeing his face twist in pity or something equally crushing, Tony picks at his cufflinks and repeats, “A date.”

“A _real_ date?” Steve asks unsurely, arms falling to his sides. “As in, you and me and food and…”

“And whatever else you're okay with,” Tony finishes, his fingers tapping at the smooth chrome table behind them while he bites his tongue trying to talk. “If you want to, that is.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Steve says immediately, his face flushed when Tony looks up in surprise at his passionate reply. “I want to. Go on a real date, I mean, and ‘whatever else’ comes after that. All of it, anything you’re ready for, I’ll take it.”

Mouth moving uselessly as he gapes at Steve's red cheeks and fierce face, he swallows helplessly and says, “Yeah?”

“Yes, Tony,” Steve says fervently, leaning in close and laying a hand to his scruffy cheek, his eyes dizzying in their blue intensity as they bore into him. “Everything you want, everything you can, I want it all. _God_ , Tony, I want you so much.”

“You've always had me,” Tony whispers honestly, pressing his heart and soul into Steve's hands, and Steve's expression fractures. “I've always been yours, sweetheart.”

Holding back a ragged breath, Steve closes his eyes and presses their foreheads together, his fair lashes wet when he leans in to kiss Tony.

Their first kiss is dry and sweet, the taste of warm honey and old love bright on their lips, pinks and reds blossoming between their intertwined hands, and Tony learns that even tears are sweet when the person you love kisses them away.

He goes to church the next day and lights a candle with a beam that stretches from ear to ear, Steve's hand in his, his joy soaring as high as the skies themselves.

A thousand worlds away, an angel smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> i was originally writing something VERY different for my soulmates slot on my stony bingo card, but then this crept into my mind and i was like "IT MUST BE DONE" and now...here we are ladkljslfjsljdgsg
> 
> none of you want to know,,, i'm sure,,, but stephanos speaks differently from antonius because he's like 20,000 years older than him and they live MILLENIA,,, so it's like the reverse of the mcu stevetony age dynamic!! after his kidnapping, antonius started undoing all the magic and weapons he created for the demon army because he realized the war was pointless and cruel, and he wanted them to make a truce with the angels since he wanted to stop the bloodshed on both ends. stephanos, who was tired of all the centuries of fighting, started to do the same on his end, and they eventually met and realized, surprise of all surprises, they were s o u l m a t e s (oh ma god they were s o u l m a t e s) and tony broke off his arranged marriage to stefaine (alternate universe stephen strange) which is why stephanos is MMM NOPE about stephen since they used to be engaged and are like best friends in his universe 
> 
> ANYWAYS i really enjoyed writing this even though i'm sure my writing style changes like fifteen different times and i'm almost tempted to write another fic entirely about antonius and stephanos slflksjfgjdh; as always, i'd love it if any of you pointed out a mistake i've made to me or left me a comment about the fic down below, and i hope you're all having a wonderful day!!!!! 
> 
> sidenote: if anyone wants to encourage my bad habits by sending me an ask about stephanos/antonius and their universe......i'm [@shell-heads](http://www.shell-heads.tumblr.com) on tumblr aljdljdlfjdwg;aegjkdhjkghr


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